Protective system for electric railways.



A. G. EASTWOOD. PROTECTIVE SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC EAILwAYs.

APPLICATION FILED KAR- 6, 1907.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909;

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A. 0. EASTWOOD. PROTECTIVE SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1907.

Patented Jan. 5

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wI-FN M w 3 am k I N m R -m A. C. EASTWOOD. PROTECTIVE SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. APPLIOA.T ION FILED MAR. s. 1907.

908,650. Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

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WITNESS =5:

ATTORNEY ARTHUR cnAs'rwoon, oF oLEVELA n, onto.

PROTECTIVE SYSTEM F' R ELECTRIC RXILWAYS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application filed. March s, 1907. Serial no. 360,924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR O. EAs'rWoon,

a citizen of the,United States, residing at 'Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga r and State of Ohio, have-invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in-Protective Systems for Electric Railways, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to block system 'for electric railways. 1

The object of my invention is to produce a block system which will operate in such a manner that a car or train cannot enter a block while there is another car or train" either standing or running inthe block,

this being accomplished by automatically,

cutting off the power from the train as it approaches the occupied block and at the same time automatically applying the brakes.

The means which I employ for cutting oil the power and applying the brakes also form a part of my invention.

In carrying out my invention I preferablymake use of the system described in-my pending a plication for patent, Serial/No.

340,469. r n the drawings of the present application, I have omitted the speed controlling and reversing apparatus shown in said pending application, and have shown the controllers, with only one stop and only one magnetically cont-rolled switch in the motor circuit, as thereby t liepresent application will be greatly simplified and abbreofi' position.

- viated Without in the least sacrificing any principles of my invention. I

[In a train comprising a number of motorequipped and motorless units, ,1 provide suitable controlling devices on the motorequipped cars, these controlling devices being actuated by electric power which is controlled by a suitable master switch, ref- .erably mounted on the'leading car 0' the train. Iprovide 'a stationarv control-com ductor along the track, together with suitable contact shoes of their equivalent carried by the motor-equipped cars, in order to connect the operating switch with the controlling mechanism on the various cars.

I divide the control conductor into sections of a length dependingupon the length of block desired and I provide automaticmeans, actuated by the-presence of a train on a given block, for placing a cam-path or its' equivalent in the path of the contact shoes in the control circuit ofany train which may approach the occupied block in either direction. In case a tram approaches the occupied block, the contact shoes coo erating with the control-conductor will oe raised from engagement therewith and will be locked in the raised osition. This 0 ens .the control circuit w 'ch causes all 0 the controlling devices on the several motor cars of the train to out ofi the supply of power to the motors, the action being similar to that which occurs when the motorman brings his operating switch to'the also provide means, put into action by the raising of the contact shoe, for automatically applying the brakes. In" addition to these automatic arran ements for cutting of? the power and app ying the brakes on a train approachingan occupiedblock, I provide a visual signal, such as a light or semaphore, which is actuated by the presence of a train on a given block to warn the mo'torman of an approach ing train that the said block is occupied.

Referring to the drawings which accompan-y this specification, Figure 1 is a side ele- 'vation of a;train equipped in accordance with the principles of my invention; Fig. 2,

a plan of the track and the adjacent stationi 3 Figs. 4 and 5 partly in section; Fig. 7, a sideelevation of a contact shoeand parts associated therewith, carried 'by the truck of a motor-equipped car; Fig. 8, a view similarto Fig. 7 but with the shoe or shown locked out of contact with the conductor M; Fig. 9, 'a modification showin cam-path with manual y actuating means;

and Fig. 10, a portable cam-path.

' Referring to Fig. 1,1 P P 1? are cars equipped with electric motors, the remaining cars being motorless. .This view' merely shows one arran ement of -the two kinds of cars, the scaleeing too small to indicatethe motor mechanisms and their controllers.

' On Figs. 2 and 3, the traction rails (only one shown on Fig. 3)are shown at G and the stationary power conductor or conductorrail for supplying electric current to the car-' propulsion motors is shownat N. .This rail;

is supported bythe insulators n and cooper-'- an elevation of a r ed by the insudators m cooperating with the 4 shoes or contacts m carried by the said motor cars. The conductors M and N may be bars, rails, or trolley wires. The return circuit of both of these conductors is preferably through the rails G. The controlconducto'r M is divided into sections (Fig. 3) of such length that two trains will not be o erated upon the same section at the same.

- t me, the ends of the sections overla ping a distance equal to the maximum lengt of the train, so that in passing frome one section to the next the contacts m m will span the overlapping .conductors. without opening the contro circuit. v

On Fig. 3, I show diagrammatically the wiring of two motor cars P and P, which- I may be sup osed to be parts of a train. The

traction re sare shown by the single rail G, which with the ower conductor N and the conductor raillV is broken away at various placesto indicate indefinite lengths of the same.

On Fig. 3, D, W, and D3 D showing only the ortions adjacent to the ends of the section 1%. M7, M and M are the sections of the control-conductor M, corresponding to each of the respective block sections. source of electric energy for controllin the several motors on the train; One 0 e of the battery B is connected to the contact finger b of the master-switch K, while the other pole leads tothe shoe m hereinafter to be described, which has sliding contact with the sections of the control-conductor M and is sufliciently long to bridge the overlapping ends of the control-conductor sections.- The contact-finger b is arranged so as to be connected to the c onta'ct-fin er I) by the .contact strip k on the drum of t 1e controller K, the contact-finger I) being connected by the wire b to the rail G through the car-truck, represented diagrammatically b the wheel 2. A is the armature, and F the ductor N by the shoe n and to the truck 2 traction rails driving circuits on the cars are in parallel.

between the (power-conductor N and the and their circuits are controlled by the motor control circuits which are in arallel between the control-conductors M an the rails G, the battery of the leading of the car P.

I show three consecutive block sections, the sections D and B is the control battery or other h'eld of the motor, whichis connected to the power conor master-controllencar being, when the contact-fingers b, b are bridged by the strip 1c, between the wire?) and the control-conductor M.

The partsfso far described being as shown on Fig. 3, let it besupposed that the controller K on the car P has been actuated so that the stri 1c connects the contact-fingers b and b. T e control circuit on this car will be from the battery B through the finger I), the strip is, the finger. b, the wire b the winding C, the shoe m the section M of the controlconductor M and the shoe m back to the battery B. At the same time a )ortion of the battery current 'passesfrom t e wire 6 through the truck 2 to the traction rails G and thence through the truck 2 of the car 1 through the wire b the winding C, and the control-conductor M and thence along the section M? to the shoe m and the battery B If there were othermotor cars to the right of the car P they would each receivecurrent from the battery B of the car P in the same manner. The wind} ings C of all the motor cars being simulta-- neously energized by the controlcircuits just traced will all lift their plungers and cause all the switches S toibridge their contacts 8 and 8 thus closing the motor circuits and causing the rotation of all the meters 011 all the motor cars. When the strip is moved off from the contact-fingers b, b, all the windingsC will be deenergized, whereupon the switches S will. all fall and open all the motor circuits. I

I have not shown any. means for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of the motors as they form no part of the matter to be claimed in the present application. The construction shown in my application,

Serial No. 340,469 discloses a satisfactory system of motor control which embodies the regulation of both the speed and direction of rotation of the motors. The system shown on Fig. 3 is the same'as shown in my said application with all the controller points and speed controlling switches after the first omitted. I

Each sectionis provided with two block switches R andR one being located near each end of the section and at such a 'distance therefrom that, after the action of'th'e automatic safety apparatus, presently to be described, a tram will be brought to rest before reaching the beginning of the next block orsection, V

Each block hasa master battery Q and a winding T of a master relay T bridged .ac'ross the control conductor M and the rail G.

latter being connected to the rail G, the oper ating battery Q being included between said contact t and the rail G- The contact t is connected to the rail G through a pair of parallel windings v and 'u, at the block stations .of the blocks adjacent to each end of the and 'u of the block station R in the block D. The contact t of the block D is connected tothe windings v and u of the block station R in the block D and to similar windings in the nearest end of the next block to the left.

Each winding '2) contains a core 19 which is connected to the middle point of a cam-path round the rods p by a link p The cam path is supported on the guide rods p in brackets p and p on the base casting pi Helical springs 1) sur-- 111) between the brackets 10 and the side of t e cam-path p and push the latter, when the winding 'v is not energized, so as to make it lie over the cOntrol-conductor M, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The campath is tapered at each end toward the con--v ductor M so that the shoes m and m will. ride-over the same. The winding 12 is contained in the casing p supported on the said base casting 11 Referring to Fig. 7, the shoe m is shown in contact with the' control conductor M and ivoted to the frame m carried by the insuatin support m secured to the truck frame m o the car, represented by thewheel z. The shoe m is pressed down and held in engagemen'twith the control-conductor M by the spring m", surrounding the pin m resting on the top, of the shoem" and sliding loosely up and-down inthe arm m on the frame m. The upper end of this pin is-arranged in line with and sli htly below the lower end of the stem m of the valve m in the air brake system of the train. The arrangementis such that when the shoe m is raised by the cam path p, the pin m will lift the valve m from its seat in the train pipe connection m, causinga reduction of pressure in the train pipe and the consequent application of the brakes in a well-known manner. -m"' is -a latch pivoted to the arm m and pressed toward the shoe mby the spring m3. Normally the shoe m is belowtheseat m of the latch, butwhen the shoe rides up in' thecampa-th p, the shoe is caught and held in its raised position by the said seat'm. I

Each winding 11. contains a movable core' which controls the semaphore or other visual signal u ina manner well understood.-

Fig. 3' shows the car P of a train wholly on the block D and the car P of the train about to leave the block I) and enter'the block D, the shoes m and 1m contacting with bothof the control conductors M and M The circuits ofthe windings T for the blocks D and D Which'are open when there is no train in these blocks, are now completed through the trucks 2, the wires b the windings C, the

' shoes m and the conductor M, which causes these windings to become energized and lift the switches T? away from the contacts t and t for the blocks D and D thus opening the circuits which include the batteries Q for the sections D and D and also the pairs of wind- ,ings *u and u in the nearest block stations R and R in adjacent blocks D and D Inasmuch as the shoe m is on the control-conductor section M it will be seen that the battery Q for the block D will energize the winding T for that block and open the circuit of the windings 'v and a at the right hand end of the block D and also at the left hand end of.

the block to the right of the block D Consequently, the cam-paths of the station R in the block D,-the station R in the'block D and the station R in the block D will be pushed by their s rings so as tolie on the control-conductor as shown, and the semaphores of these stations will all be set at danger. The section D"bei'ng supposed to'be.

clear, the switchT is closed, and the campath of the station R in the block D is withf drawn and the correspondingsemaphore-is set at safety. As'soon as the shoe m of the ear P or the last 'motor car in the'train,

passes from the section M of the -co'ntI ol-co'n-- 'ductor, the battery Q of the block D will have its circuit opened, whereupon the corresponding switch T will fall and close the circuit of the battery Q for said block. The cam-paths in the stations R in the block D3- and R in the block at'the rear of the block D will be withdrawn and the corresponding sema hores will beset at safet As soon as the s oes m and m of the eading car P.

leave the section M of the control-conductor,

aphore will be lowered owing to the denerthe cam-path of the-station Rin the block 2 D will be retired and the corresponding semgizing of the battery Q, and the conse uent energizin of the battery Q of the bloc D It will e readily understood that when a train approaches an occupied block the safety switches guarding that block will be in the positions shown .11! Figs. '5, 6, and 7, and should the operator fail-to observe the" visual signal and cut off his power and apply the brakes, the contact shoe m of theleadin car-of the train will ride up ontheacain-pat p, which is made ofv insulating material, thereby interrupting the-control circuitand cutting off the power from allthe motors on thetrain. At the same time the valve in? will beopened, thereby applying the-brakes and bringing the train to rest. The shoe m will be held in the elevstedposition and, out

of'oontact with the control conductor by the latch m e As soon-as the semaphore .or

' other visual signal shows clear, the operator warned by the signal a in the station R in his block, and if he did not cut off his power in time it would be cut off and the brakes automatically applied by the action of the camath p on the switch or shoe m, which would be automatically lifted from. the control-conductor and held in such lifted position by said latch. Similarly the motorman of the second train would be warned by the signal a in the station R. in the block D and if he did not cut off his power in time, it would be automatically cut off and the brakes a plied; Sothat, even if the two trains shoulrPreach the respective safety switches or stations R and R at the same instant and running at full s eed, and. the two motormen should each ail to see the signal and cut off power and ap ly the brakes, this would be automatical y accomplished and the trains brought to rest before they could come together. It will be understood, therefore, that my invention doubly safeguards against trains approaching each other, 'as is commonly, the case in a single track road and is a fruitful source of accidents on roads having a plurality of tracks in cases where a train for some reason is compelled to back It is obvious also that when a train is to be signaled to stop at a station (as for orders) the same manual mechanism that is used to-opcrate the usual semaphore or other visual signal may bemade to operate a cam-path such as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 ,the manual '9 crating means shown in Fig. 9, taking the Ipa ceof the soleneid'p, thus absolutely'pre venting the motorn an running past a point where a stop is required. Further when it becomes necessary to flag a train between blocks (as on account of the destruction of a bridge or other derangement of the roadway) a portable cain-path'may be a plied tothe control conductor, thus compel train to stop whether or not the motorman sees such danger signal as may be displayed.

I claim -1. In an electric railway, a stationary control conductor along said railway, a car on said railway, a motor or motors, electrically actuated controlling mechanism, and a master switch all on said car, a traveling contact carried by said car for normally connecting said master switch with said stationary conhng the trol conductor, a second traveling contact carried by said car for connecting said elec- -trically actuated controlling mechanism with said stationary control conductor and stationary means for opening the traveling controlling means thereforon certain of the cars of said train, a master switch on one of the cars of said train, atravehng contact carried by said-car for connectin said master sw1tch to said stationary contro conductor, traveling contacts carried by the other electrically equipped cars. of said train for connecting their respective electrically actuated controlling means with said stationary control conductor, and automatic means for interrupting the traveling contact between said master switch and said stationary control conductor.

3. In an electric railway, the combination of a train of cars on said railway, driving motors and electrically actuated controlling mechanism on certain of the cars of said train,

a master switch on'one of said cars, a source of control current on the car with said master switch, one side of the electrically actuated-controlling mechanism on each of the electrically equipped cars being connected to said source of control current and said master switch by means of traveling contacts engaging with said stationary control conductor, the other side of each of thevelectrically actuated controlling mechanisms being con nected to said source of control current through the rails of said railway, and stationary means along said railwayfor interrupting the connection between said source of control current and said stationary control conductor.

.4. In an electric railway, the combination of a train of cars on said railway, driving motors and electrically actuated controlling mechanism on certain of the cars of said 4 train, amaster switch on one of said cars, a

- source of control current on-the'car with said master switch, oneside of the electrically ac-' tuatedcontrolling mechanism on each of the brought into action by the proximity of another traimfor opening the connection between said source of'control current and said stationary control conductor. I

5. In an electrically operated railway, a

ling mechanism on certain of said cars, a

master switch on oneot' said cars, one side of the control circuits on each of the cars equipped with motors being connected to said master switch by means of traveling contacts engaging said stationary control conductor, the other side of each of the controlling circuits being connected to the master switch through the rails of said railway, andautomatic means governed by the elec trical connection between a section of said control conductor and the rails of said railway for opening the connection between said master switch and said stationary control conductor as the train approaches said section.

6. In an electrically operated railway, a stationary control conductor divided into sections, a train of cars on said railway, dr iving motors andelectr-ically operated controlling mechanism on certain of said cars,one side of the control circuit on each ol' the electrically equipped cars being connected through a traveling contact with said control conductor, the other side of the control circuit on each of said cars being connected to the rails of said railway, and automatic means governed by the presence of a train on a given section and connecting the control conductor with the rails through the control "circuits on the train for preventing a train from entering that section.

7. In an electrically operated railway, a stationary control conductor divided into sections, a master switch by means of which 3 the motors of the train are normally controlled by governing the fiow of current through said control conductor and the rails of said rail ay, and automatic means gov- 5 car.

' erned by the presence of a train on a given a section which connects the control conduc tor with the rails through the controlling circuits on the train for warning a train apcars containing a proaching said section from either direction that said section is occupied.

8. In an electric railway system, a train ot stationary contro sections, a second stationary conductor, a master switch on one of the cars, a control circuit, in which the control current travels on one conductor from the master control apparatus on the other cars and on the other conductor from the said control apparatus to means governed by electrical connection be tween a section on said control conductor and the rails of said railway for preventing a train from entering said section.

9. In an electrically operated railway, a stationary control conductor divided into sections, a train of cars on sald railway, driv car to the I luralityof motor cars, a f -conductor dlvided into;

the master switch, and automatic given section which thus connects the control conductor with the rails through the control circuits tor'cutting oil the (power from a tram approaching said occupie section.

by a train either running or standing on a 10 In an electrically operated railway, the

combination of a control conductor, divided into sections, ainotor car, a motor or motors thereon for driving the same, a controller for said motor or motors, and electrically operated means energized from said control con-- ductor and actuated independently of the said controller for automatically cutting off the power from a train about to-enter the section occupied by said car.

11. In an electrically operated railway, the combination of a control conductor, divided into sections, a motor car, a motor or motors thereon for driving the same, a con troller for said motor or motors, and electrically operated means energized from said control conductor and actuated independently of the said controller for automatically warning a' train about to enter said section that said section is occupied,

12. In an electrically operated railway, the combination of a control conductor, divided into sections, a motor car, a motor or motors thereon for driving the same, a controller for said motor or motors, and electrically opcrated means energized from said control conduct-or and actuated independently of the said controller for automatically cutting off the power and applying the brakes on a train about to enter the section occupied by said 13. In an electrically operated railway, a visual danger signal, a stationary control conductor divided into sections, a master switch by means of which the motors of the train are normally controlled by governing the flow of current through said control conductor and the rails of said railway, and automatic means governed by the presence of a train on agiven sectionovhich connects the control conductor with the rails through the controlling circuits on the train for displaying said danger signal to a train approaching said occupied section.

14. In an electrically operated railway, a stationary control conductor divided into sections, a master switch. by means of which the motors of the train are normally controlled by governing the flow of current through said control conductor andthe rails of said railway, and automatic means governed by the presence of a train on a given section which connects the control conductor with the rails through the controlling circuits on the train for cutting off the power from a trainapproaching said occupied section from either direction.

15. In an electrically operated railway, a stationary control conductor divided into sections, a master switch by means of which the motors of the train are normally controlled by governing the flow of current through said control conductor and the rails of said railway, and automatic means governed by the presence of a train on a given section which connects the control conductor with the rails through the controlling circontrol conductor with the rails throu h the controlling circuits on the train for disp aying said danger signal to a train ap reaching said occupied section from either irection.

17. In an electrically o )crated railway, a visual danger signal, a stationary control conductor divided into sections, a master switch by means of which the motors of the train are normally controlled by governingthe flow of current through said control conductor and the rails of said railway, and automatic means governed by the presence of a train on a given section which connects the control conductor with the rails throu h the Control. ling circuits on the-train for isplaying said danger signal to a train approaching said occupied' section and, in case said signal is not heeded, for cutting off the supply of power from said train.

18. In an electrically operated railwayhaving thereon a train with a plurality of motor operated cars, a stationary. controlconductor along said railway, a train on said railway having a plurality of motor cars therein, a master-switch and a contact-shoe carried by the leadin car of said train and cooperating with saiil control-conductor to connect said master-switch with the motor controlling mechanism on the various motor cars of said train, and stationary means along said railway for automatically raising said contact shoe from engagement-with said stationary control-conductor.

-19. In an electrically operated railway, .a stationary control-conductor along said railway, a train on said railway, having a plurality of motor cars therein, a master-switch and a contact shoe carried by the leading car of said train and .cooperating' with said control-conductor to connect the master- A switch with the motor controllin mechanism on the various motor cars of sa1 d train, stationary means along said railway for automatically raising said contact shoe from engagement with said stationary control-conductor, and means for holding said shoe in said raised position.

20. In an electrically operated railway, a stationary control-conductor along said railsaid raised position, and means for causing" said contact shoe when raised to apply the brakes on said tram.

- 21. in an electric railway, a sectional co:itrol comluctor along said railway, a train on said railway having a plurality of motor cars therein, a mister-switchand a contactshoe carried by one of the cars of said train and adapted to cooperate with said controleonductor in such manner as to connect the master-switch on said car with the motorcontrolling devices on another motor car, and means actuated by the presence of a train. on an adjacent section for automatically disengaging said contact-shoe from said control-conductor when said train approaches saidoccupied section.

,22. In an electric railway, a sectional control-conductor along said railway, .a train on'said railway having a plurality ofmotor cars therein, a master-switch and a contactshoe carried by'one of the cars of said train and adapted to cooperate with said controlconductor in such manner as to connect the master switch on said car with the motor controlling devices on another motor-car, and means actuated by the presence of a train on an adjacent section for automatically disengaging said contact-shoe. from said control-conductor and automatically applying the brakeswhen said train approaches said occu ied section.

23. In an electrically operated railway, a sectional control conductor along said railway, a battery for 'each'section, a masterrelay for each section having its winding connected throughsaid battery to the controlconductor and to one of the rails of said rail-' way, and signal apparatus near either end of eachsection of said control-conductor controlled by the relay. 1 j I 24. In -a protective system fop railways, the combination of, a stationary control conductor along said railway, said control 75 way, a train on said railway having a plural- 1 I conductor being divided into blocksor secapparatus placed within minimum train stopping distance of each end of each section of the control conductor.

25. In a protectivesystem for railways, the combination of t a stationary control conductor along-said railway,. said control conductor being divided into blocks or sections, and a separate automatic signaling placed Within minimum train stopping distance of each end of each section of the control conductor.

26. In anelectric railway, the combination of a stationary control conductor divided into insulated sections along said railway, motor driven cars on said railway, E magnetically actuated control mechanism on said motor driven cars, the windings .of said trons, and a separate automatic signaling magnetically actuated control mechanism being connected between the rails of Silltl" railway and said control conductor, and a separateautomaticallyoperated electric signaling apparatus near each end of each section of said control conductor, said signal 111g apparatus having an actuatlng circuit which is normally open between the rails ol' 2 said railway and'said control conductor, said and. automatic train stopping apparatus circuit being closed through thewindings of the control mechanism when there is a motor driven car on a given block or section.

Signed at Cleveland Ohio this 2nd day of March. 1907.

ARTHUR C. EASTWOOD. \Yitnesses C. PIRTLE, J. H, HALL. 

